Dreams Come Alive: My Internship Experience in Japan
In dreams manifested through mid-slumber, my anticipation for my internship in Japan was a mix of excitement and fear. Through infancy, my thoughts and my literature were profuse with the Japanese literary greats… And through the stresses and pressures of the new responsibilities which adulthood brings, it was the house-ridden musings of the Kagerō Nikki and the reveries of Sōseki that transported me—seemingly to a new universe. Along my grandfather’s mantelpiece displayed a menagerie of Shōwa-period figurines, and I eyed them longingly, half-listening to his faint voice venture across a haiku’s verse.
And yet, I wondered, if I would arrive at this great city, and these thoughts and feelings were not as great as those felt in these novels, I felt it might be fatal—not forgetting that the distance from my hometown to Japan seemed impossibly untraversable—about 11,000 kilometers in distance. It felt less possible than tunneling through the earth’s core. What if it was never my destiny to truly experience Japan? What if fate caused my plane to nosedive into the Pacific?---The depths of which lie the Mongol horde which braced against the Great Wave of Kanagawa, never to reach the Japanese islands.
But for years I felt this was my destiny; and I would better yet perish than not explore what I’ve been yearning to explore for as long as I could remember. These dreams however, were soothed through memories of my grandfather singing sweet lullabies from beyond, bringing me back into slumber.
First Glance
I can remember my first few hours in Tokyo vividly.
I was in the taxi from Haneda Airport and my eyes were fixed onto the towering sky-scrapers which passed us as we made our way through Shinagawa. I reveled in these new sights in spite of September’s humidity pouring through the crevices of the car’s windows. I kept my eyes open for any familiar landmarks that I had seen previously in travel books or old films. However, the mere sight of the Japanese language written across billboards and storefronts was enough to burgeon my excitement—and I could feel my heart thumping.
We reached our destination—and as I exited the taxi, the summer heat hugged closely onto me like a warm greeting. For the week, I would be staying at the APA Hotel Toranomon-Shimbashi, just one block away from my office building, the esteemed Toranomon Hills. It was 6:00 AM, hours before my designated check-in time. Although, I really didn’t mind given my extreme impatience to finally explore Tokyo.
I dropped off my bags and quickly headed for the train station. After navigating the perplexities of Tokyo’s metro system, I was finally able to purchase a ticket on the Ginza line toward Shibuya. I climbed through the closing doors just in time, and stood within the train’s center, surveying the faces of passengers with curiosity. There were businessmen, eyes glued to their phones, clad business suits, supposedly on their way to work. Hunched over the seats were groups of high-school students neatly dressed in uniform, listening to music—and with droopy-eyes—seemingly dreading their morning classes. This portrait which graced my vision felt truly like a privilege and approached me with surrealness. I imagined in great detail each of their lives—and with great envy, I held hope in my heart that this life in Tokyo would soon feel like this—something normal within my life, and other foreigners might also be awed by my unique life in the metropolis.
Aoyama-Itchōme…Gaienmae… Omotesando… Shibuya!---After navigating the labyrinth of Shibuya Station, I finally reached Shibuya Crossing, only to be faced with a completely different side of Tokyo. In great contrast to the people I had seen on the train, were young people who only can be described as at the very pinnacle of style and confidence–some in vibrant color, and others head-to-toe in black. As they moved you could detect a certain bravado to which when they swayed, it was in harmony with the Shibuya’s voguish energy. And as it was a Saturday, anybody could guess they were on their journey homewards after a long night out.
Besides pockets of these young people passing by, the district was strangely empty–which stood in deep contrast to the images of condensed crowds I had pictured prior. Finally reaching Yoyogi Park—the humidity had drained me into a pruned version of myself. I grabbed a Pocari Sweat from the vending machine, and slouched myself onto a nearby bench. It would be hours before I could return to my hotel. The square was empty–and I couldn’t help but think of the people on the train, and then those along the streets of Shibuya.
This duality would encompass my experiences in Tokyo during the duration of my internship.
September - December
After a weekend of exploration, I would now officially begin my new position at a media start-up. It was a Tuesday, and I gazed outside my window upon Toranomon Hills, and felt small in contrast to its majesty. It had been over a year since I contacted Zentern for their help in securing an internship at a media company. I was confident that the position would aid me through my career trajectory, but the new responsibilities were unlike anything I had yet endeavored.
As I previously worked for a school magazine and smaller independent zines, I held a level of responsibility that was significantly lower than that of a real company. The fear manifested by these thoughts grew in intensity as I was greeted by my new supervisor. However, after the onboarding process, I was relieved by their support and understanding of my inexperience. At the beginning of my internship, I wrote 1-2 articles per week and drafted social media to market our weekly newsletter. After a smooth two weeks, I suspected that this understanding I was greeted with refrained me from expanding my responsibilities at the company. Thus, I decided to work harder… to really prove myself—and with great effort, I thrived.
Through the months, I approached my work with great determination and confidence as words spilled from my brain onto these digital pages. I could tell that my coworkers were impressed. I studied the final copies of my work which were modified by my editor, and revised my writing to match the narrative voice and flow he was trying to achieve. My responsibilities would grow from those of an Intern to a true employee. I began expanding myself to new realms of responsibility, including project management, design and coding. Eventually, I was entrusted to attend press conferences and galas where I fraternized with people who were highly revered in their respective industries. I couldn’t imagine that just two months ago I was a novice journalist, and now I was being respected as a real professional. Although the post-work fatigue overwhelmed me, I had pride in the new life I had built for myself through my internship in Tokyo.
It was when the other interns finished their internships did the days in Tokyo seem to congeal together—my morning rituals growing rigidly and my evening explorations fading. During evenings, I would walk over to Zentern’s office to partake in tri-weekly Japanese lessons. But through each week, my attention span was shrinking. Despite my support systems at Zentern, and my company, I felt that I was trapped in a cycle of work and sleep. My will to break that cycle was minimized by my ultimate addiction to the adrenaline and endorphins that hard work brought me. Further, that initial pride which I felt when finishing a piece began dissipating, and yet, I continued to chase it. My life began feeling rather dreary…I felt there needed to be a change, but I was ultimately stuck.
December - February
After a brief sojourn in Taipei, the familiar neon lights glimmered along Tokyo’s thoroughfares, seemingly just for me, welcoming me home. In the taxi from Haneda toward my apartment in Jiyūgaoka, that familiar heat gusted through the car’s ventilation in conflict against the winter’s frosty grip. Having experienced a brief vacation from my job’s responsibilities, I felt that I had reached a conclusion—to slow down. This conclusion that I have reached was embraced and supported both by Zentern and my company.
This new perspective came over me in time for the New Year’s celebration. With my arms meeting my fellow interns, we basked in the festivities in front of Zojoji Temple. The count-down pushed those prior toxins from my core against the barrier of my skin; manifesting like goosebumps. And following the 108 rings of the Joya-no-Kane, they rushed out of me and left behind a cleansed spirit. That night, I strewn myself across my bed, languidly gazing at my mantelpiece, and faintly, I could envision those same figurines my grandfather treasured. I felt his pride wash over me in my dreams.
Through Shinnenkai, I found myself venturing across Tokyo’s independent cafés and bookstores, leafing through the sleepily poignant novels of Banana Yoshimoto; and through reading her stand-out novel, ‘Kitchen,’ I felt myself basking through the simple pleasures that stood in front of me. With new friends, we explored Tokyo's most delectable cuisines; some of which we found through unmarked doors and small, winding hallways. At night, our laughter and joy would drift us involuntarily to karaoke where we released our work-life pressures through the emancipating medium of song. I felt especially closer to the city at this point. My workload was then minimized greatly to around 2 articles a week, and instead of slouching over my computer in an office-room, I was in colorful open spaces, where sporadically, I would lift my eyes from my work, and enjoy the scenery.
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On the day before my flight to Seoul which would officially end my time in Tokyo, I sat on a bench in Jiyūgaoka as I scribbled these sentiments about my grand experience for keep-sake. And through my writing, I remembered one thing I was told by Zentern before the start of my internship; ‘through this internship experience, make sure to take on as many of the opportunities that you are presented with.’ At the time, I had wrongly assumed this statement was solely in the context of work. But at that point, I realized the richness of just living in a foreign country, and soaking in the culture. I realized that I had learnt as much as I did through just sauntering random streets as I did when writing for my media company.
I hope through Zentern’s sentiment, and my internship experience, that you, a future intern, will understand that these opportunities are birthed from spontaneity. These opportunities manifest in autumn leaves riding along uphill winds and through microphones at karaoke bars; they are physical—and you can reach out and grab them. Remember, that during this very special opportunity, you ensure that not only should you work hard, but also to experience this wonderful city to its fullest.
At the very end, I realized that despite my great love for Tokyo, a city will not just solve all your problems for you; it’s what you make of your opportunities, and experiences. Despite the amount of pride for all the work I had accomplished—and the connections I had made—I look back onto my first few months of my internship with a newfound perspective. I had heard the phrase ‘work-life balance,’ but I had never applied it to my own working life. And during those last few months where I had truly accepted Tokyo’s embrace, I captured some of my greatest memories of this unique and privileged experience.
On my plane to Seoul, I feel the heat of tears rushing down my eyes which elicited the nostalgic warmth of that ghastly Tokyo summer heat—warmth of which rushed through me with great sadness—and yet, hope. Although I will start university this year at a university in a different country, I can say with absolute confidence that Tokyo has imprinted itself on my heart, and my future.
Wishing you all the best,
Jake
